My fellow citizens of our Sierra Leone …
This is to express my deep interest in becoming your President … in the country I love so much and plan to serve so well.
I am committed to our future … NOT as a group of separate tribes, but as one great, UNITED nation with a future that benefits us ALL.
I will bring to this task the experience I gained by living, working and being educated in the United States … then coming back more than three decades ago in 1991 … and bringing WITH me the education and relationships I made abroad that will help us become greater NOW than many would dare to imagine.
It is ESSENTIAL that Julius Maada Bio be voted OUT of office and REPLACED by someone who cares more about our COUNTRY than he does about himself.
Bio’s entire career has been corrupt. He looks out for himself instead of the nation.
He came INTO office on false pretexts. Legally and constitutionally, the SLPP convention of December, 2021 was intended ONLY to elect party EXECUTIVES … NOT yet to nominate a presidential CANDIDATE.
Instead, however, Bio managed to rig the system, positioning his name as the SLPP Flagbearer and Presidential nominee.
That action deprived our nation of the actual democracy we are based on. I am legally challenging this right now in the Sierra Leone High Court.
And here is MORE corruption ….
In his first three months of military government administration, Bio colluded with his Secretary of Trade and Industry to sell an economic lifeblood of our country – the national oil refinery – to a foreign company while stashing millions of dollars of profit into their pockets.
Lebanese lobbyists have their hands in Bio’s pocket still today.
He has wasted the resources of or nation on selfish pursuits – from a failed commission of inquiry against political opponents … to choosing his tribal SLPP colleagues as ministers and key administrators while targeting other tribes.
One of my key goals as President will be to rid us of Bio’s divisive corruption and, instead, to UNITE Sierra Leone.
Certainly the existence of tribes is fundamental to our heritage. But TOGETHER we are much MORE than that.
It is NOT in our interests as a nation to focus on tribal division. That mindset does not help us to govern, grow or prosper.
One way to brighten our future is to lift the education of Sierra Leonean children. Some of you know already that I have proposed “free quality education” across the country. I recommended this concept months ago but Bio took the idea and has presented it to the public as his own, never mentioning that it came from me. My intention, by the way, will be to name the policy after my Official Mother, Dr. Margaret Badum Melady. She inspired the idea and will contribute to its successful implementation. Our kids DESERVE the better future that comes with education.
I also have a vision of making Sierra Leone a more prominent and respected player on the global stage … opening our economy up to opportunities from across the world.
Here is an example. As President I will establish diplomatic relations between our country and the state of Israel. Bio has been short-sighted in resisting the plan which will not only further establish Sierra Leone as a true global player. It will add new TRADING potential to our national ECONOMY.
Another of my plans as President is to IMPORT proven expertise … by directly engaging the British. Putting the white man between the tribes will let us focus on the good of us all.
We will partner with the British in several ways.
First is my signature policy to develop the buried resources of our nation and create a more prosperous economy with success for the entire country.
Our untapped natural resources can benefit us all. Sierra Leone is blessed by God with vast untapped supplies of diamonds … iron ore … gold… titanium … bauxite … chromium.
With my vision brought to life, our economy as a nation will achieve new heights of economic success in partnership with the British. Under my leadership, THEY will be motivated to help US… with 35% of the profits giving them an INCENTIVE to help us as a nation.
Partnership with the British will help the excellence and professionalism of our GOVERNANCE, too. Under MY administration, the British will be in control of the nation’s civil service system.
This model of international partnership is ALREADY being followed successfully by the African nations of Senegal, Mali and the Ivory Coast. FRANCE participates in helping THOSE nations to have stable democracies.
I will engage support from the BRITISH to help OUR country in much the same way.
Please understand: Sierra Leone will STILL be its own, independent nation. But we will BENEFIT from the governmental experience and expertise of the British. Historically they helped to BUILD our country. We can all benefit by drawing on that expertise again.
Putting the white man BETWEEN the tribes will enable us to look PAST the ways tribalism can divide us. Instead we will prosper as one UNITED nation with the advantage of British LEADERSHIP.
As I request the honor of your support in voting for ME to lead our nation, I follow in the spirit of my father … Briama Vongo Mambu of Sengema Village where I grew up.
I have loved Sierra Leone from the moment I was born. And the idea of national SERVICE is a natural part of my HERITAGE.
My father was a tribal Chieftan who served our nation as Chief Briama. He was also an army Officer of the Royal West African Frontier Force during World War II. He was exclusively assigned to the Force Commander, as a member of the British Royal Family.
This role model of my life was a six-year veteran of World War II. He fought NOT for himself but for ALL of us as a NATION.
I will always be proud that my father, the Chief, devoted his LIFE to our country and its FUTURE. He won two distinguished MEDALS for service during the war,
AFTER World War II, during 10 years of the vicious rebel war that tore Sierra Leone apart — my father DIED in a REFUGEE camp in Guinea.
Inspired by his SERVICE over SELF, I will lead us to PROSPERITY and GLORY.
I have loved Sierra Leone from the moment I was born here.
Now … with my vision of national UNITY instead of tribal division, by incorporating British governance …
AND with a remarkably BOOSTED national economy by finally gaining help and expertise in USING the buried riches under our feet across the country …
We will grow and prosper TOGETHER.
Unlike the PRETEND President Bio, I plan to champion democracy and freedom of speech for us all … fighting corruption in our government in favor of fairness for EVERYONE.
So, dear citizens — please JOIN me in creating a future that UNITES us as ONE Sierra Leone.
YES, we will always keep our tribal identities and heritage. They are always a part of who we are.
But above and beyond that we will prosper as a united nation …with increased wealth infusing our economy and benefiting EVERY citizen.
Vote for me, Stephen Sahr Mambu, and join me in moving forward to a far more glorious FUTURE … with benefits yet to come to us and future generations.
Vote for me and let us grow TOGETHER. …. THANK YOU!